Flexible piston-rod and cylinder therefor.



FOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1912.

Patented Aug". 11, 191% I7ZU7ZZZT'J fi/wjesnmza? THE'NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LI THQ, WASHINGTON. D, c.

JOHN DESIVIOND, OF WILlVIETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM S. POTW'IN, OF

F IfiE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLEXIBLE PISTON-BOD AND CYLINDER THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No. 730,581.

Rods and Cylinders Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus involving a flexible piston-rod to one end of which the piston is permanently secured.

'One of the salient objects of my invention is to provide a flexible piston rod whereby to transmit the movement of a piston, within a cylinder, to some exterior instrumentality, thereby to avoid the necessity for excessive linear space wherein to contain the piston rod, of the usual rigid type, when it is projected from the cylinder.

Other, and more specific, objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration ofthe following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a broken away, plan view, of an engine starting device, showing the ad missible compactness of parts when my improved piston is employed; Fig.2 is an enlarged side elevation of the same, part in section, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig.

3 is a longitudinal central section of the cylinder and piston, showing the manner of use of my improved piston rod; and Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. v

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In my oopending application, for starting devices for internal combustion engines, Serial No. 692,250, filed April 22, 1912, there is shown the disadvantage of rigid piston rods, of the usual type; the cylinder, containing the piston, being located afull cylinder length away from the parts to be operated by the piston rod.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide a piston rod, of a flexible nature, whereby the cylinder may be located relatively close to the apparatus to be operated by the movement of the piston rod.

In this application similar reference letters have been employed for indicating similar parts contained in my previous application, whenever consistent so to do.

5-5 are the side frame members of an ordinary automobile.

6 is an engine of the internal combustion type, which is not self starting, and 77 are the arms by which the en ine issupb ported upon the side frame members, as at 11 is the shaft of the engine. Carried on the shaft is a spider, or three armed structure 16, secured thereto by means of a key 15. At the ends of the arms 22, are pivotally secured Weighted ratchet pawls 17, 18 and 19, which are yielclingly held in engagement with the teeth on the ratchet wheel 20, by means of springs 21. A ratchet-wheel, 20, is secured to, or is a part of, the drum 23. A smaller drum, 24, is mounted on an axle 25, and a connecting rope or band 26 is secured to the drum 24 and is also wound at least once around the drum 23 and se cured thereto. The drum 24 carries a spring, which exerts its yielding influence toward winding up the cable, or band 26, around the drum 24. A power cylinder 28, adapted for use in connection with a compressible fluid such as air, or gas, contains a longitudinally movable piston 29 which is connected to my flexible and improved piston rod 30. The piston rod is preferably made of a thin flexible steel ribbon, similar in many respects, to a clock spring, so that it may be readily wound around the drum 23, and it is wound around the drum 23 at least one time, and firmly secured thereto. The cylinder, 28, is firmly secured to one of the side frames 5 as by a bracket 81 and an orifice 32, is the opening through which the power fluid medium is admitted into the cylinder.

When the fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder 28, as through the opening 32, in front of the piston 29, it has the eflect of driving the piston to the opposite end of the cylinder and thereby rotating the drum 23 causing the shaft 11 to be rotated, which positively turns the ratchet wheel 20, and by the engagement of the pawls 17, 18 and 19, with the said ratchet wheel, the spider 16 and the shaft 11 are rotated primarily, and prior to, the self operation of the engine. After the engine becomes self operative the spider on the shaft 11 will be positively driven at a higher velocity thanthe drum;23 and the centrifugal effect thus produced will cause the pawls 17, 18 and 19 to fly out free of the teeth in the wheel 20, and when this is done the spring, contained in the drum 24, will rotate the drum 23 in the opposite direction to that in which it has been rotated by the piston, the drum 23, now being relieved, by the outward movement of the pawls, from its association with the shaft 11 and the spider 16, and thereby the piston 29, through the medium of the flexible piston rod 30, being wound around the drum 23, will be again brought to the front end of the cylinder 28, in its normal operative position.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a packing gland 33, secured in position, as by studs, or screws 34, by means of which the packing 35 is held in the receptacle 36 provided in the head 37 of the cylinder 28. The means for packing the flexible piston rod is in every respect similar to that for packing a round piston rod with the difference that the arrangement is formed in conformity with the difference in the cross sectional shape of the two pistons.

The movement of the piston 29, of the cylinder 28, during its power stroke is such as to straighten out the flexible piston rod 30, and to exert a straight pull on it, and when it is moved in the opposite direction, as by means of the spring contained in the drum 24, the tendency is to maintain the piston rod 30 in a straight line, and in no instance is the power so applied as to have any tendency to buckle the piston rod, and the application of power in each instance tends to elongate ratherthan compress or shorten the rod andcfor this reason the plston rod 1s in every respect satlsfactory and operative for the purpose of transmitting power. Its

flexible nature permits of t-he location of a cylinder near to the drum 23, as shown, and therefore, lends itself to the compactness of operation and simplicity of construction.

I do not limit my improvement for use "solely in connection with automobiles, as

many situations in which it may be employed with equal. advantage will readily occur to one versed in the art.

\Vhat I claim is: p 1. In a device of the character described the combination, of a flexible ribbon adapted to have its end connected" to somelpart to be moved, a piston permanently secured to one free end of said. ribbon, a cylinder for said piston, and a head for said cylinder, said cylinder having near said head an opening for admission of fluid under pressure,

whereby the admission of fluid under presthe ribbon works torender said head air- 5 tight, and means associated with said cylinder foradmission of fluid under pressure between said piston and air-tight head, whereby there is provided: a a piston rod adapted to lie in a straight line while within the cylinder and adapted to lie in a curve: for

coaction with said wheel when. drawn without 'thecylinder. I p o 3. In a device ofthe character described the combinationof, a cyllnder, a headfor said cylinderinclosing thesame to provide therein an air-tight piston-receiving space, a piston n sald cylinder, a flexlble piston rod permanently secured to said piston, andv a packing gland carried by saidhead adapted and arranged to receive said flexlble piston rod, whereby admissionof fluid underpressure between said air tight head and movable piston' noves the piston rod inwardly,

said piston adapted and arranged to be returned to normal position by extraneous means associated with the other end of said ribbon, the ribbon therefore lying always in a straight line whilewithin'the cylinderbut adaptedand arranged to conform to the peripheryof an extraneous device tobe moved a thereby.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

c U JO'HNDESMOND. In the presenceofj W. LINN ALLEN, MARY F ALLEN.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

